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Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Sporting KC defender Erik Palmer-Brown named to United States Under-20 National Team roster

SportingKC.com

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - Sporting Kansas City defender Erik Palmer-Brown was named to the United States Under-20 Men's National Team roster on Wednesday for the 2014 Dallas Cup.

The Lee's Summit, Mo. native is one of 21 players selected by U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team head coach Tab Ramos for the prestigious international tournament and joins his first full camp at the under-20 level.

"It's a great feeling to go back and play with the national team," Palmer-Brown said. "I know I am playing up an age group, but I feel like I can continue to contribute at a high level. I'm just going there to learn everything I can from the U-20 coaching staff and continue my development as a player."

"He has proven that he can rise to the challenge for whatever level he is playing at the moment," Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes said. "Even though he could still be with the U-18's, it's great that he has the chance to go with the U-20's. Those experiences are going to help him further down the road in the long term with us."

The 2014 Dallas Cup will be played from April 13-20 with the United States in Bracket C of the Gordon Jago Super Group alongside the U-19 sides from Argentina's River Plate, Germany's Eintracht Frankfurt and Mexico's Tigres UANL. Each of the three bracket champions, along with the best second-place finisher, will advance to the semifinals on April 18 to play for a berth in the final on April 20.

U.S. Under-20 National Team Schedule:

vs. River Plate (ARG) at 6:30 p.m. CT on Sun., April 13 at Cotton Bowl Stadium

vs. Eintracht Frankfurt (GER) at 4 p.m. CT on Mon., April 14 at Richland College

vs. Tigres UANL (MEX) on Wed., April 16 (time/location TBD)

Palmer-Brown, the youngest active player in Major League Soccer and the youngest player on the U.S. U-20 roster at age 16, signed a professional contract with Sporting KC in August 2013.

As a Homegrown Player, he remains eligible to play in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy for the Sporting KC Under-18 Academy team and has played in 12 games since the start of the 2013-14 USSDA season in September.

He attended the prestigious U.S. Soccer Residency Program in Bradenton, Fla. last year and featured extensively in international competition for the United States Under-15, Under-17 and Under-18 youth national teams in 2013. One of five finalists for U.S. Soccer's 2013 Young Male Athlete of the Year, Palmer-Brown most recently represented the U.S. Under-18 Men's National Team in February's Copa del Atlantico in Spain.